Live Blogging: Hemming Plaza Committee - Banning Game Playing and furniture

[TheCat]

Gulliford, says the meeting will be closed in 15 minutes. He's leaving.

--Public comments are a formality.

Mr. John: yes, it is about renewal. If Jacksonville has a great system for the homeless why are they in hemming park. It is extreme to remove furniture. The crime does not happen in hemming park it happens in the landing. It happens at shands. It happens at the church. Who are the undesirables?

Gulliford responds: we do not have undesirables. we have a certain element of people that are aggressive and confrontational. The reason we are going after gaming is to send a message to the people who are aggressive. This is not a homeless issue it is a conduct issue.

[fieldafm]

Another gentleman says there needs to be public restroom facilities so that the Library won't become the defacto restroom.

[Ocklawaha]

Noone is taking pictures.

[Ocklawaha]

Looks like a bad case of nerves, making excuses to escape from the crowd.

[fieldafm]

Stephen Dare up now.

We can't change the behavior of a few people by destroying the physical environment.

We are now living with the results of taking away amenities for decades.

You make it uncomfortable for the entire public by taking away amenities of a very few. 

[Ocklawaha]

Stephen is handing them their ass. 'You won't make it more useful by taking away all of the amenities. Its not in our best interest to shut down a park to control people.'

[fieldafm]

There are about 40 people in the room and another dozen spilling into the hallway. 

[thelakelander]

Gulliford responds: we do not have undesirables. we have a certain element of people that are aggressive and confrontational. The reason we are going after gaming is to send a message to the people who are aggressive. This is not a homeless issue it is a conduct issue.

This makes no sense. Stopping people from playing Chess sends a message to aggressive and confrontational individuals?  That's a new level of planning that I'm not aware of.

[fieldafm]

Short, 30 minute meeting.  Pretty explosive environment with lots of heated tempers exploding. 

It was a spectacle.

[tufsu1]

This makes no sense. Stopping people from playing Chess sends a message to aggressive and confrontational individuals?  That's a new level of planning that I'm not aware of.

I hear it was recently added to the AICP exam

[Bill Hoff]

There are about 40 people in the room and another dozen spilling into the hallway.

I was in the hallway, with half of Hemming Park.

[thelakelander]

What was the point of the meeting?  It seems like it was a complete waste of time.

[Noone]

I counted over 60 people and there were definitely more. The fact that the chair of the meeting was a no show certainly didn't help. Hope everyone filled out the sign in sheet because that is the official record.

There will be another meeting.

Lots of good discussion but no action taken.

[TheCat]

Thelakelander, yes...it was meaningless (some good conversations afterwards as the owner of Kona was able to get a few the council members to think outside of the box regarding Hemming).

Gulliford, who claimed he had to leave for another meeting cut the hemming meeting short then came back into the room where we were lingering within ten minutes.

Denise Lee did not show up and Gulliford did not want to be the impromptu chair of the meeting.

I wouldn't be surprised if Denise Lee skipped the meeting on purpose because she was not expecting so many people to voice shock and opposition.

Her office literally told someone who called to get information about the meeting that they would be wasting their time if they showed up. That the meeting was just a formality...etc. That there wouldn't even be time for public comments.

So, I'm not sure what the purpose of the meeting but maybe Denise Lee is incredibly cunning. If people came to this meeting and left thinking it was a waste of their time maybe they won't show up to the next one...?

Or, maybe she wasn't expecting a large crowd of "fired" up people and every media outlet in the city to be present.

Or, she was just running late...which I have experienced with her on more than one occasion.

Either way, that's totally disrespectful to the people who showed up to be heard and provide input.

[ronchamblin]

Couldn’t go, but just read the posts.  It sounds like there was good energy.  Love it.  Even though the meeting was cut short, partially because of the absence of Denise Lee, we made a strong impression as to our willingness to oppose the frivolous removal of the oaks, the tables, chairs, and benches, and any rules against playing chess and other games.

Perhaps now, those with interests in park decisions will finally understand that it makes little sense to attempt solving any problems at the park by degrading it, removing amenities in it, or restricting behavior in it.

I continue to believe that the new day center, once open, will go a long way in decreasing the “occupy” population in the park, thereby opening the door so that others can gradually begin to use it.  The new users will balance and normalize the park, making it difficult for the “occupy” condition to return.

I sense that the subject has become a little awkward for Lee, Gulliford, and Redman.  They probably don’t know how to handle the building opposition to what’s been suggested for solutions.

Love it. This means we might get our way, which will be to keep most of the oaks, the tables, the benches, and the ability to play games and chess.  Thanks to those who attend the meetings to voice opinions, the park will be free from full or partial destruction.